The Glade 4.0

Haven't had a drink since New Years. My lifestyle has to change due to medical conditions and potential to have to use serious medications in the future should conditions change (Interferon Alfa-2B injections).

The problem is, my good friend who is one of my only friends where I live now is a big time drinker. We've done some heavy drinking together. But now, it is the time to stop. It's causing my life to be very boring.

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"It's real, grew up in trife life, the times of white lines
The hype vice, murderous nighttimes and knife fights invite crimes" - Nasir Jones

Make new friends. Easier said than done, but at this point in time his drinking is a danger to your ability to take the meds you need.

Folks, offer Rafe ideas on how to find new non drinking friends.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

Once again, Micheal is spot-on with the advice.
Rafael, I had to literally stop speaking to friends I've had for years when I quit smoking cigarettes. I just didn't have the will power, and it wasn't enough that they just stop smoking around me. I had spent so many years with them that even the act of a casual conversation brought up almost irresistible cravings because that is what we did...we smoked. Constantly. I began to realize how much of our friendship over the past decade revolved around smoking.
The only solution I had was to make new friends and that blow hit me HARD...my friends were my family and had been for over a decade. But the need to quit smoking was stronger....
Online friends are good like the Glade and FaceBook as long as you stay away from subjects/people that remind you of drinking.
My best source of companionship has been my husband, my children, and my husband's family. I don't know if you have these relationships in your life but if you do, take advantage of them.
I've become a member at church, attend regularly and have even joined the choir. All of these activities have led me to meet new people and make new friends.
Its a slow process, and I'll admit that I have been pretty lonely at times. Its difficult making new friendships at this stage in life, but it is not impossible.
I'm happy for you that you are taking a positive step in the right direction for your health; you'll be glad you did later.
I wish you the best of luck and success with this. You can do it and you are stronger than you think you are.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

As vices go, I like gambling.

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Maybe not so good to convince Rafael to switch vices , Shuyung :p

but I agree, gambling is fun..especially when you win.

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Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

He said he needed to replace drinking. So I had to think, what would be a good social activity (I assume the drinking he was doing with his buddy was in bars, though this may be incorrect) that could take the place of drinking? I then had to choose between gambling and fetish sex. Not that there's anything wrong with fetish sex, certainly, but it's rather difficult for a single male to get into. So that left gambling.

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There are lots of non-vice time fillers out there.

Learn a musical instrument (or improve at one you already know). Take lessons, etc...

Find a new hobby.. photography is pretty easy to get into these days.

Volunteer. Find something to be passionate about and get involved...

Take some college classes for something you might find interesting

Embrace the life of being the DD. Enjoy watching how stupid people are when drinking. Not something you notice when you are in the bottle with them.

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Raell Kromwell

Be sure to remember to stop for gas 5 times while driving them home.

get a girl friend ... sex is a good replacement for everything.. alternatively play an mmo =P

Lydiaa, Google Interferon Alfa-2B.

And welcome home.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

Hehe thanks Michael... laxing on my research first day back, sorry Rafael.

Go with the second part then... come to khadgar... >=D

I quit Aion, it was boring to me. I was burnt out from WoW, tho.

You can still have sex while on the treatment, but luckily I haven't had to get any yet. It just gives you flu-like symptoms for the duration.

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"It's real, grew up in trife life, the times of white lines
The hype vice, murderous nighttimes and knife fights invite crimes" - Nasir Jones

You many wanna recheck your wording there, buddy!

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Tabletop wargaming?

That sucks up time AND money, so it's a good double-whammy, plus you could meet new potential friends. Just don't hang with the smelly guy..... and there is always a smelly guy.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

Aion's only fun when you have people to play with... other wise it's a grind fest post 30.

Wow's okay too if you get to jerk around in dungeons and attempt to kill your healers with too many pulls... unless your healer's a NE tree in which case we can stealth away.. muhahhahah~

Of course I was right the first time.. (I AM female after all)... sex does make everything better =P

Drop by GameStop and put down $5 on a Star Trek Online pre-order for an Open Beta key.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Big **** surprise. An Asian MMO that is nothing but a grindfest? Color me shocked.

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Los Angeles Kings 2014 Stanley Cup Champions

"I love this **** team right here."
-Jonathan Quick

Hey Man, I hope things aren't as bad as my imagination is making them. It's a tough call deciding what's right, for yourself, but you're a smart guy; you'll make good choices.

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko

I don't know about that Vindi ... I went to what should have been renamed Missouri University of No-Pussy for 9 semesters ... so as for as major life choices are concerned, I think my ledger looks pretty weak.

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"It's real, grew up in trife life, the times of white lines
The hype vice, murderous nighttimes and knife fights invite crimes" - Nasir Jones

Drinking is a social crutch that I'm beginning to dislike. It's always fun around new people. However, when around the same people, it gets old. I don't even look forward to hanging out with a lot of "drinking buddies." It's the same deal every time. We drink, do the same things, then eventually argue because of drinking. This generally occurs after one of us brings up a bad drinking subject (religion, politics, women, etc).

I'm so tired of that same trend. My friends and I used to have a lot of fun together. Now it's just the same boring crap when we drink. I don't think you'll miss drinking that much once you move on to other things in life. There's so much else out there, as many have stated previously. I don't plan on quitting drinking entirely, but I hope to find other friends I can enjoy my hobbies with together.

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Just to provide additional caution:

The smelly guy is generally fat, over 6' tall, speaks with a fake accent (often something he imagines to be British) has unkempt facial and head hair, often paints half his models well while the other half are in a permanent state of partial assembly and worst of all...

generally claims to be an expert in some martial art. While his generally poor physical condition should give the lie to this statement, it is sure to come up as soon as there is any disagreement, which there usually is when playing with random folks. Even if the smelly guy took a few years of martial arts as a kid though, his overall lack of phyical fitness should, in the unlikely event actual fisticuffs break out, render his martial arts abilities less formidible than they might otherwise be.

Just keep this in mind. Some of these guys got beat up a lot as a kid, and are just aching to unleash their formidible whupass on someone. If they start addressing you as "sir", that's a sure sign they are looking for an excuse to throw a punch, and calling you "sir" is making a token gesture to "not causing a confrontation" they learned at their dojo. Find someone else to play with.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

Wow, DE -- I think DFK and I both played that guy at a tournament two months ago.. I didn't see you there!

Well, except I don't think he professed to a martial art.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

I played that guy at a magic tourny ten years ago. I thought for sure he was going to punch me when I didn't want to bend my cards to shuffle them.

I had Tika's Dragon in there...

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Raell Kromwell

DE, I know what kind of people you are talking about. There was a comic book store my friends used to meet up which stayed opened late just so people could play games (PnP, tabletop, etc) in the back room. He didn't exhibit any faux-accents, but I could just tell that he thought he could physically dominate people, should any discrepancies of said games arose. Whether or not they took 18 months of Goju-ryu Karate or not, this seem to be a common trait.

Raell: I would assume a guy like that would punch you for bending your cards, not because you didn't want to.

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"It's real, grew up in trife life, the times of white lines
The hype vice, murderous nighttimes and knife fights invite crimes" - Nasir Jones